DC & US Territories Quarters 2009

About This Series

Extending the phenomenally successful State Quarters concept, the 2009 DC and US Territories quarters honored the District of Columbia and five territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands — with distinctive reverse designs celebrating each jurisdiction's identity. Their release during the 2008-2009 financial crisis significantly impacted production, as reduced demand for circulating coinage led to lower mintages than many State Quarter issues, making certain 2009 quarters relatively scarce. The District of Columbia design features Duke Ellington, Puerto Rico depicts a sentry box at El Morro, Guam showcases the island's outline, American Samoa features an ava bowl and coconut palm, the U.S. Virgin Islands highlights a local scene, and the Northern Mariana Islands depicts a Carolinian canoe. These six quarters brought representation to communities excluded from the original State Quarters program, acknowledging the territories' integral role in the American family and completing the comprehensive geographic recognition begun in 1999.